Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-07-15

Not much, ma'am," said Parkins.
| 'May [ ask where you have lived
| lastpn -, =
The man hesitated for moment. l.
| ION a ranch, ma am" he said, with
a slight air of being unwilling to pursue
the subject further. Then he added,
with more alacrity,-
Il was servant to gentleman out in
Wyoming"
''Ah!' said Mrs. Mad on.
She had rather intended to bully
John Parkins, but somehow the manner
of the man forbade it.
Having this unaccountable feeling that
further Investigations would be almost
an impertinence, she proceeded to in
struct the new butler as to what would
henceforth be expected OF him.
He showed great alacrity zeal not
according to knowledge. But in spite
OF few awkwardnesses on his part he
produced favorable impression on his
new mistress.
Dinner that day passed off remarka-
bly, well, considering that Parkens was
rather nervous, as servants are apt to
be in new places.
Miss Arden could not help admiring
his personal appearance and gentle
manly manner, and Mr.. Madison sat at
the head of the table, smiling blandly
and full OF citation at the success of his
last venture.
When dinner was over, Mrs. Madison
entered the pantry to ascertain how
the new functionary was behaving.
She was surprised to see row of wet
plates standing all round the room,
leaning their backs against the wall.
why, Parkins, what are you doing
with those plates?' she cried
The Englishman regarded her with
a deprecatory air.
Il was letting them drv a bit,
ma am." he said. Have [ done wronc?''
"Certainly," said Mrs. Madison.
THE towels in the drawer are for dry
the china"
Parkins blushed so brightly that she
really pitied him.
Beg pardon, ma am," he stam-
mered, "but you see man gets so
awfull!v rough in the West ma am.
We hadn't many towels on the ranch.
Thank you ma am. I'll use them in
future. I'm very anxious to learn"
The drawing-room was henceforth
entertained with the pantry episodes,
OF which this was the beginning
In the main, however, Parkins gave
satisfaction. He was sober, dilgent,
almost chlvalrous in his attention to
the wants of the ladies.
The defects in his education as but
Ter were soon remedied, for Mrs. Mad
ison WAS an excellent housekeeper and
was willing to take untold trouble to
instruct any one who was teachable
The fresh, handsome face of Parkins,
his respectful and manly bearing, and
his charming English accent, which
was evidently not that of a ,cockney,
ingratiated him with his employers and
even their acquaintance.
Occasionally a new book or paper
was missing from the sitting room,
and more than once it was found in the
pantry among the rouge-c cloths and
plate powder. In one case the missing
volume was one of Lecky's, and Miss
Arden, who had searched in vain,
asked Parkins if he had seen it. He
confessed to having borrowed it; and
when Sylvia looked at him with obvi-
Gus surprise, he made some confused
remark about 'bettering his educa-
tion.'
Elf he can appreciate that book"
said Miss Arden afterwards to her sis
ter, ''hiS education Doesn't need much
bettering.'
One evening, when John Parkins
had been with the Madisons for q
month or more, several newlv-arrived
English people dined at the house.
From the moment when the party
sat down at the table. Parkins began to
behave strangely. He became absent
minded and inattentive. His strongest
desire appeared to be to get out of the
room as quickly as possible.
Mr.. Madison was annoyed, and
thought for a moment that his butler
might be under the influence of liquor;
but after he had watched him for a
minute or two he was convinced that
the man was perfectly sober, though
evidently laboring under great mental
perturbation.
But, as one cannot watch ones but
Ter all the evening, Mr.. Madison's at
tention was soon diverted, and the cir
cumstance passed from his mind
One day in the early spring a letter
came for George Madison from the
British Legation at Washington.
1t requested information in regard
to the whereabouts of Mr.. Cecil Finch,
an English gentleman who was suppos-
ed to be in the United States at that
time. MIR. Madison replied with polite
brevity that he had never had the pleas
ure of knowing any one of that name.
There be thought the matter would
rest. But by return of post came
another letter, which intimated that
the Legation could not take Mr.. Madi-
sons reply as final for Cecil Finch had
been seen going in and out of Mr..
Madison's house in New York.
Mr.. Madison was by this time rather
curious, and not a little indignant. He
was not accustomed to having his
word doubted.
He therefore wrote back somewhat
sharply to the effect that the only
Englishmau who came and went in his
household in the manner described was
his butler John Parkins.
"Upon my word" he said that night
at dinner to his wife and sister in law,
Il am tired of Mr.. Cecil Finch without
ever having seen him. The logged
pertinacity of the English diplomats
does them credit"
Parkins, who was handing a dish of
sweets at the moment, started SO vio-
lently that the dish almost slipped
from his fingers. -r.' 49,
This did not escape Mr.. Madison, but
he said nothing. - =. r.. =. 4, .
Afterwards, however, he remarked
to his wife, eff am not mistaken, Par
kins knows something about Mr. Cecil
Finch" e.Szr%. = IL
In q day or two third letter bearing
fhe WASHINGTON uast.mark arrival fnr